PlanetJune Craft Blog

Isn’t it frustrating when external factors affect your productivity? There’s an ongoing construction project happening on my street at the moment, and my house is filled with loud machinery noises all day long. I’m finding it hard to get much of anything done – there’s nowhere I can go to escape this noise!

I like to work in silence so I can really concentrate, so this is proving to be a big problem for me. If you have any suggestions for coping with a noisy working environment, please leave them in the comments – thanks 🙂

Turtlemania CAL

The Turtlemania crochet-along is in full swing and I’m really enjoying seeing the large and small turtle blankets that have already been finished, for example:

Photo credit: these lovely projects were crocheted by Ravellers jomeigs and sujavo

Review and Win contest

You’re automatically entered in the next monthly draw every time you write a review for a PlanetJune pattern you’ve enjoyed – and you’ll also be helping future customers make an informed decision about patterns they are considering buying.

I didn’t do a draw last month, so today I’m drawing the winners for both February and March:

I needed a schnauzer pattern to make for a friend of my daughter’s. Found the perfect one on Planet June. Very cute. After I downloaded the instructions, I was very pleased with the clarity of the directions, the pictures included and even detailed assembly directions-quite a reasonable price and very professional. I have been crocheting for years and realized a good design when I saw it. I immediately ordered the cat pattern because it was even cuter and I have cats. Told my son about the website and he ordered June’s book The complete Idiot’s Guide to Amigurumi for me as a gift. It is also excellent and well written. Thank you June for your excellent patterns.

I love this pattern! The guinea pigs are perfectly chubby and I have a whole family of them! The pattern is very well-written and helps you place the eyes and the legs in the right spots!

Congratulations, Virginia and Megan – I’ve emailed you both to find out which pattern you’d each like as your prize!

What’s Next?

My Horse design is just about finished and looking good. I’m working on the pattern, and my next challenge will be to figure out the wings for my Unicorn and Pegasus Expansion Pack! All being well, the patterns should be ready in the next few weeks, so look out for them soon 🙂

Jennysaid

You like to work in silence, so this may be a moot suggestion, but try to reinterpret the sounds you hear as music. If you aren’t already familiar with it, take a few minutes to read up on John Cage’s 4’33”

A fresh perspective may be helpful. Sorry to hear it is bothering you…

I’m getting a bit more used to it now, thanks, so I can tune it out to an extent, but it’s still a big disruption to my routine. I’m learning to time my tasks that require the most concentration around the builders’ lunch break!

I do have a pair of expensive noise-cancelling headphones (for flying) but they’re really uncomfortable: the adjustable headband is too large at even the smallest setting, and they push my ears into my glasses, which isn’t nice either.

I tried them yesterday (thanks for the suggestion!) and they do help, plus I can plug them in and e.g. edit videos or listen to a podcast with them on, which is better than earplugs when I need to hear something. I think it’d be a great solution if only my headphones fit me better…

Marty Roseensaid

Have you considered listening to some soft music on your____device with earbuds. I too have found that foam sleep aids and most earpieces don’t fit me, until I discovered that there are ones that are “small” or come with different size covers for the ear piece part – the small fitsfor me, and the in the ar can block most other noises. The model i have now is inexpensive [ $7.00] but is the Amazon bestseller in the category. I like music when I’m cleaning or gardening, but for beading or yarn work if the pattern is at all tricky I stick with classical.

Marty, thanks for this! I do need silence when I’m writing or editing – finding the best words to describe something, or checking all my numbers add up properly takes a lot of concentration. Even the tune and rhythm of quiet, soothing music is enough to distract me.

But I used your idea of listening to music when I was shooting and processing photos earlier this week and spent a very enjoyable 3 hours working without even noticing the building noises, so thank you for the respite!

Valerie Longsaid

If you don’t mind wearing earplugs/cottonwool that might help! Hope the noise stops soon. Though a philosopher might say ‘nothing is ever good or bad, only thinking makes it so’, maybe it was Mark Twain. I think perhaps, the less attention you give the noise and the more you just accept it the less it will bother you. I look forward to seeing your horse. Love your patterns. Thank you. Valerie ?

The only positive thing I can think about the noise is that it’s lovely when it stops! And I guess it’ll be helpful to figure out the best noise reduction technique for me – knowing that will come in handy in future too. So yes, there are a couple of positives 🙂

I can’t use the disposable foam earplugs (I think my ear canals are a weird shape, haha), but I’ve just picked up some flanged re-usable ones to try, and they seem to work pretty well! Thanks for the suggestion – it’s still noisy, but at least bearable now 🙂

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Please note that I can only answer questions related to PlanetJune patterns and tutorials (see details), and I can only respond to questions or comments written in English. Thank you :) - June